Add Ben-Jarvus Green-Ellis' 11 rushing touchdowns to the mix and you have yourself a pretty balanced attack, especially once the Patriots get into the redzone.
Given the fact that New England's aerial assault is one of the top three in football year after year, why would they possibly want to improve the talent already on their roster?
The answer is pretty simple, once you look at it. The Patriots need a deep threat to overcome matchup deficiencies.
The three most effective defenses against New England offense during the 2011 regular season and 2012 postseason were Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and the East Rutherford Giants in the Super Bowl. These defenses did two things that effectively knocked Patriots quarterback Tom Brady off of his dink-and-dump possession game: covered the intermediate routes and effectively rushed the passer.
Tom Brady's 2007 record-breaking performance will go down as one of the best, if not the best, season by a quarterback in NFL history. Brady had 50 passing touchdowns (an NFL record), won the MVP award, and brought the Patriots to the first 16-0 regular season in NFL history. The key to get back this unprecedented success is to get back to the 2007 template.
The Patriots need Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace to make this happen.
The Steelers slapped the franchise tag on Wallace on Monday before the 4 p.m. deadline that will take a first round draft pick for another team to sign the 25-year old wideout. Wallace finished 2011 with 1,182 yards and eight touchdowns, but has led the NFL in yards per catch since he entered the league in 2009 (18.8 YPC). Mind you, his numbers were "down" a bit last year given the inconsistency at quarterback with Pittsburgh shuffling between an injured Ben Roethlisberger and Fill-in B.
Regardless, He is the epitome of a deep threat.
The Patriots have the luxury of owning the 27th (from New Orleans) and 31st pick in the 2012 NFL Draft plus two second round draft picks. Wallace would likely demand a four-year deal worth around $32-35 million/year plus incentives with $18-20 million guaranteed.
Conventional wisdom says that the Patriots will not try to acquire Wallace or even a blue chip free agent receiver like San Diego's Vincent Jackson or New Orleans' Marques Colston, especially since they just tagged Welker to a $9.5 million contract in 2012. It is well known that the Patriots brass doesn't like to tie up that much money in cap space.
If New England does go against the grain of their trends and make a move to acquire one of the top deep threats in the NFL, it will give them plenty of time to address the porous defense in the Draft with three picks in the first two rounds.
Now to scheme.
Adding Wallace would free up Welker and Hernandez underneath, and open up Chad Ochocinco (who is still under contract through 2012) on the flanks. Plus, constantly threatening with two of the NFL's top receivers on the field at the same time might (and I stress might) open up the running game.
In essence, Wallace would become the new Randy Moss, Ochocinco the new Donte' Stallworth, and Welker the new...well, you get where I'm going with this.
Tom Brady will turn 35 next season. It's time for New England to go, excuse the expression, balls out to win another Super Bowl before Brady makes the trip to Canton.
The next few years might be his last chance.
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